I'm John Batchler. This is a roundtable of the American economy right now on the eve of May Day to look

what is ahead of us under the pressures of the moment, which are considerable. I read a headline in

Bloomberg. U.S. and Iran stuck in standoff as oil prices soar to wartime high. Subhead, the U.S. and Iran showed little sign of breaking their

impasse and agreeing to another round of peace talks. That's one pressure, the Hormuz and Babel-Mandab

choke points. A second pressure certainly is the pending embassy by the President of the United

States to Beijing to discuss the old unknowns

of the tariff negotiations between the U.S. and its chief trading partner, the People's Republic

of China.

That I'm reminded often by my colleagues is participating in the war for supremacy in Iran directed against the United States.

In other words, the president is off to negotiate with an enemy power,

if you consider the aid that China has been providing Iran with targeting.

For example, that strike at U.S. basis that happened during the worst of the

fighting, we have plenty of information to indicate that was a Chinese satellite lent to the

Iranians for the IRGC to target and kill Americans. An unusual negotiating position that the U.S.

is taking. We can talk to you about trade,

and we're not going to bring up the unfortunate fact that you're the enemy. All right.

The third pressure would have to be artificial intelligence. There are plenty of headlines

in all directions. The one I like is from the Financial Times this morning reminding us that

these benevolent remarks,

these big numbers of investment, this, this, what should have to say, moon-faced smile

that you get from all the AI billionaires.

Don't not be fooled.

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